Page 49 of Dumped for a Christmas Tree Farmer

“Anyway . . . do you think Mav is acting weird? He’s been running about town all day, head down, talking in hushed whispers.”

“Indy. I have no idea, but if there’s something I’m absolutely certain about, the man is obsessed with you. I think you should trust him to let this play out.” He keeps his eyes off me, which only reinforces my belief that he knows more than he’s letting on.

Henry’s working the late shift tonight. I told him I could handle it, but he waved me off. It is New Year’s after all, and given that we only had plans to sit and drink until one of the locals set off fireworks in the town square, he said I should spend it with Mav. We don’t know what’s going to happen, but we can create one special night together.

I say my goodbyes and wish him a happy New Year, just as his phone chimes and he bites his lip, slipping it back into his pocket before pasting on a forced smile.

I hurry down the snow-covered path, looking at my home a little differently than before. This could be the year I finally take a leap into something adventurous. Build a life of my own instead of living the one my mom had. All I need to do is find a buyer, someone who will love the place as much as I do and keep the magic of my mom alive. It can’t be too hard, right?

For all the talk over the years about moving on, I have loved my life here. I love my friends, my colleagues. I love the town snowball fight, I love the bar. I’ll visit all the time. Of that I’m sure. It’s only a few hours from Seattle; I can come back whenever I want. Maybe Mav will come with me each year?

What am I going to do about him? Only a week ago I was hurt by James, convinced that if he could just see the real me, he’d commit. Then Mav turned up, out of the blue, and knocked me sideways. Shown me what a real man does to be with someone, how he treats a woman, how he fucks a woman. God, that man knows what he’s doing. I’ve never come so hard in my life as I have with him. Indulging every bad thought I have and leaning into it. Getting off on me getting off. The fact that he came in his pants just from touching me at the bakery had me convinced the guy is obsessed with making me come.

I untuck my hands from my pockets to open the door, and I’m greeted by Mav, sitting at my kitchen table, the entire space covered in fairy lights. A Christmas tree is in the corner, decorated with baubles and tinsel, all except for the first foot off the ground. I frown, considering why he’s done that, but then the cat jumps down from the couch and swats at the branches before running between my legs, purring.

The fire warms the room, the scent of pine and whiskey mixing together in an earthy smoke. It looks so pretty in here. I can’t believe he decorated my house for me. Even though it’s New Year's Eve and they’ll need to come down next week, he did this for me.

“What’s all this?” I whisper.

He stands, the chair scraping against the floorboards. He’s in front of me in seconds, his palms cupping my cheeks as his head dips low and he drops soft kisses on my lips. I pull him down, my gloved hand cupping the back of his neck, but he stops me.

“I desperately want to see where that kiss takes us, Indy, but I need to talk to you about a few things first.”

“It can't wait?” I murmur, dropping kisses down his neck as I cup the hard bulge in his pants.

He groans, pulling back as he looks to the ceiling, shaking his head, muttering about having the strength of Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant with God's baby.

He steps back toward the kitchen table, pulling out a chair for me to sit on and tucking me in. Such a gentleman for a man who likes to have sex in public.

He rounds the table, taking the chair opposite mine. Three piles of crisp white paper sit in front of him, and he places a hand on one.

“First of all, I want you to know that if you don’t like what I’m suggesting, you can one hundred percent say no, or just say this is way too fast and I need to slow down. I won’t hold it against you; I’ll still want to be with you. Nothing is going to change my mind, because you’re it for me, Indy.”

My heart swoops down to my stomach as if I’ve been dropped from Santa’s sleigh as he’s cruising about the town. I’m it for him? What the hell does that mean? He wants to be with me? Be my boyfriend? Move me to Seattle? What? My God, he needs to hurry up and talk fast because I’m going to lose it.

“Mav . . .” I whisper.

“Breathe, sweetheart.” He takes a deep breath with me, his hand reaching out for mine.

“Please tell me what’s going on. I’m gonna scream.”

He smiles, his thumb rubbing over my knuckles. “I found a buyer for the B&B. Nothing has been confirmed yet. It’s an expression of interest, but I think you’ll be very happy with it.”

“Who is it?”

He ignores my question, obviously wanting to tell this story at his own pace. “When I got here, revenge was the only thing on my mind. That, and getting Holly back to help build my business. She’s charming, happy to put on a show when needed. But otherwise, we didn’t really interact. I work a lot, Indy. I’m not going to deny that. I work to build a life that eight-year-old me could never have dreamed of. But meeting you and getting revenge with you, it’s shaken up everything I ever thought I knew about my goals. I don’t need Holly. I built my business from the ground up. Sure, she helped get my foot in the door with the use of her father’s name, but it was my vision, my hard work that sealed the deals. And I couldn’t have done it without my team. Charlie, of course, but there are others. You’ll meet them soon, I hope.” He smiles, and I press my fingers into his palm, grounding myself against his calluses.

“I was short-sighted when I bought the bakery building. And I’ve found someone else to take it over.”

“Mav!” I laugh. “You bought it four days ago. Are you crazy?”

“I’ve sold it already. It’s done.” He swishes his free hand as if buying a building is nothing.

“But Bella?”

“I met with her last night. Charlie arranged it. She gave me her blessing to sell the property to Hugh Honeyford.”

“Holly’s dad? But why?”